I can’t decide on the 5, yet. I lay awake in bed trying to pick just 5 last night. I do know Mel’s Heritage is at the top of my list! I’m still thinking about the rest. Beautiful pictures everyone! Lisa

Hmmm....most of mine are babies so I’m pretty sure the list will change next year but for this year, in no particular order

PJP

BlueGirl

SugarMoon

CreamVeranda

Westerland

Sorry to hear about your Nahema, Summers. Maybe I'll try to propagate another before planting mine out. I'd HATE to lose her.

Munstead Wood: for its fragrance, rich deep color, and gnarly abundant thorns (which I find interesting and like)

Shepherdess: for her vigor, reliability, and fragrance

Violet's Pride: for her color and fragrance. If I were a zone warmer I think she'd be spectacular but I have had a lot of winter dieback.

Benjamin Britten: for covering the fence in a matter of a couple seasons, and his fragrance.

Mayflower: for disease resistance and fragrance. If it had a prettier form (in both bloom and bush) it would be top of the list.

Arlene- I’m super happy to see the Shepherdess in your top. I don’t see her mentioned as much as some other Austins and as I just planted her this spring I was kinda worried. Hopefully she’ll like my garden as much as she likes yours

You are all just too funny! All the wailing and teeth-gnashing over having to choose just five, and then many of you manged to, one way or another, sneak in at least another five. I didn't mean to torture anyone or have them lose sleep over this. Of course after I posted my five I thought Evelyn wasn't one I should have included since I haven't seen it bloom, and SdlM wasn't really a favorite since it's always great and I'm too used to it, and Aunt Margy's Rose should have been included, and Mme. Joseph Schwartz will be spectacular when it's grown a bit, and Mlle. de Sombreuil looks fantastic this year...........okay, I see the problem here.

steelers, yes, I think she's a good one! I have had her for about 5 years I think. Her blooms shattered really fast the first couple years...lasted about a day. The past couple years they've been hanging on longer.

Can we do five in each class? That would be easier, lol

My top five are:

spirit of freedom

wedding bells

sweet drift

duchess de Brabant

pat Austin

honorable mention goes to crepsicle that has covered itself in fragrant blooms this spring.

Bliss, quietness and plum perfect are also high on the list. And promising new varieties this year includes Roberto Capucci, easy spirit, summer memories, tachiovski, yves Piaget and Karl plobeger as well as the pioneer rose gypsy sue and oh happy day by Kordes.

Grandmothers hat

Elisabeths China

julia child

duchesse de brabant

irene ford or golden celebration

Veilchenblau

Unknown seedling

Nymphe Egeria

Rosarium Utersen

Mary Rose

Sorry extra pic of Nymphe Egeria snuck in, Mary roseRose is right above.

Sooo many gorgeous roses! Mine are mostly babies, too, but this is an inspiring list. Thank you Ingrid for a great post! :-)

It's so true that it depends on the day & what's looking good! My garden is still young and many plants are just in their first seasons, so opinions are bound to change.

A few that come to mind as being dependable & beautiful here are:

Benjamin Britten - size, shape, vigour & blooms

Julia Child & Ebb Tide - both same size, little blooming machines, great colours.

Crocus Rose - good size & shape, gorgeous blooms, healthy & hardy.

Poseidon - healthy & great colour

Othello - the blooms on this one make me swoon.

Could oust these for top 5 position given another season - new last year, but we're impressive!

Darcy Brussel or Munstead Wood
Cinderella Fairy Tale
Charles Darwin
The Lady Gardener
Abbaye de Cluny

Your choices are quite a mixed bag, but Duchesse de Brabant seems to be a favorite. The various Austin roses are mentioned many times, in different climate zones,a testament to their popularity and beauty.

DesertGarden I was so happy to see you mention that Blush Noisette does well in full sun and your dry heat. It should do equally well where I have it now, transplanted from a too shady spot where it did not fare well. Mine is just now beginning to show a bloom or two.

1. Belinda's Dream
2. Darcey Bussell
3. CareFree Beauty
4. William Shakespeare 2000
5. Souvenir de la Malmaison

First two are easy, and equally good.

1. Bishop’s Castle

2. Marie Pavie

The next three are harder

3. Alnwick Castle

4. Munstead Wood

5. Abraham Darby (although I wouldn’t say he is particularly “good” here, I just love him for some reason).

I can't possibly pick 5 so I will divide my response into old garden roses and modern roses.

OGR: Mme Joseph Schwartz/Duchess de Brabant (combining rose and sport)

Romaggi Plot Bourbon: loves my climate and I love it

SDLM: wouldn't be without this wonderful rose

Souv. de Pierre Notting: easy easy rose

Mme de Sombreuil

And will add, most any tea rose!

Modern: Love Song: because it is so healthy and floriferous and I am surprised it does so well.

Fragrant Cloud: I love this rose so much I built a whole bed around it because it clashes with my OGR's. Fragrance is to die for, of course.

Dark Lady: best Austin rose by far in my garden. Austins generally don't do very well for me.

Mme Abel Chatanay: love the color and she's a heat-lover

Pope John Paul II: what's not to love?

These choices are very changeable, depending on the day and mood. If I had to choose a favorite class of roses it would be teas, of course.

5??? Virtually imposable.

Munstead Wood

Molineux

Comte de Chambroud

Hannah Gorden

Louise Estes

It's interesting to see how some roses that are favorites here were so not in my garden. The Dark Lady did not last long because in my soil she was fire engine red. Carefree Beauty was anything but and did not want to grow at all here. Belinda's Dream was lovely the first year or two and then steadily declined. Charles Darwin never prospered, and I'm trying again, but he's still a dwarf after several years, with just one or two blooms. I'd have to think it was all me (and maybe it is) but thankfully some of your favorites (and mine) like SdlM, Duchesse de Brabant and its sport, Marie Pavie, Bishop's Castle and Mlle. de Sombreuil seem quite happy here. It's part of the fun of gardening that we all have different roses in addition to some universal favorites. It would be soooo boring if we all grew the same roses and had identical gardens.

This first three are seedlings of Rosa primula that I named after my beloved dogs.

Gizi's Rose

Zephyr's Rose

Magda's Rose II

Reine des Violettes

Snowden

That's so cool, Tessie, that you named these roses after your doggies. It's quite impressive to have your own roses.

I have been mulling over your question for a few days, Ingrid. My first 4 are ones that kept coming to mind as favorites; the 5th is my favorite for today:

1. Lamarque - a lax, low-thorn healthy climber with blooms that are a lovely white with a hint of lemony yellow. Given to me by Jeri and Clay so another reason why I treasure it.

2. Molineux - for being my workhorse rose for over 13 years. And a sentimental favorite because the desire to get another rose like it had me online when I found the Rose and Antique Rose forums on iVillage/Gardenweb.

3. Barbra Streisand - for its intense fragrance and for putting up with being moved from one place to another over and over, and still being able to do this:

4. Grandmother‘s Hat - for the beauty of its blooms which make my heart sing. It‘s prone to black spot in my garden else it would be higher on my list.

5. Belle Story - lovely and fragrant today!

Jo

Jo, I had no idea Barbra Streisand was so beautiful. I haven't grown any of your favorites, but they are all by reputation very worthwhile and beautiful.

Just so you know, I have many, many more favorites.

Orpheline de Juliet - my introduction to the old European Rose's. Will always have and love her

Rush Family Gallica- really all gallicas and hybrid chinas are my favorites, I could go on and on. Choose this one to represent.

Mme. Lombard- my first Tea rose to live for me and give me hope that others may follow. My Rainbow almost died, we were colder this winter. I think I may move it. It may be in a bit of a cold pocket. I ordered some new Tea Rose's this year, and Mrs. Dudley Cross gave me her first bloom, and I am already in love with her. The rest haven't bloomed, but really love their growth.

Ispahan- So beautiful, healthy, and strong. Absolutely love it.

Perle d'Or - will be my 5th choice. It has really done great this year and is putting out new growth. So beautiful.

If we could do a sixth, it would be Veilchenblu. It is my favorite Rambler. I will never be without it.

Some of my roses haven't bloomed yet. I can change my mind later, I suppose. How about combinations? If I count a combination as a single rose, I can almost do this.

Combo 1: Bermuda Spice, Mystic Beauty and Lullaby; These could win on sheer flower power alone. Backed by a blooming peony, (not sure but I think it's Mrs. F.D. Roosevelt), there are few spring shows as fine as that.

Combo 2. Comtesse du Cayla, Tip Top and Mechanicsville Beauty; Beside each other, blooming together, they remind me of a sunrise. Mechanicsville Beauty is a pink found rose that seems to like its new spot in the china/pink bed. I almost lost this one after the previous winter. I'm so glad this winter was milder.

Combo 3: Softee, Anna-Maria de Montravel and Charles Walker Mignonette; These are together in a small L-shaped bed by our shed. This spring they are blooming along with tall bearded iris and sweet william . I go out to look at it every morning. The only thing that keeps this combo from rocketing to #1 is that there is an open spot at the end for Marie Pavie which is still on order.

To me this changes every year based on performance; plus we all are adding new ones constantly :-)

Mine are (as of 26 April, many new ones aren’t blooming yet)

Summer Romance x 4 (bullet proof, stayed evergreen in zone 7b; responded remarkably well to hard pruning; balanced rounded shape bushes no octopus arms; with 50+ buds on each bush. I was very skeptical about this rose but it proved its value with flying colors the second season)

Quick Silver x 3 (10’ growth and covered up four panels of 6’ aluminum fence in one year; full of buds)

Bolero x 5+1 (the “1” is a 36” standard. delicate yet very reliable, intoxicating fragrance if you like it; stays compact form; never disappoint; must have white rose in any gardens)

DA Carding Mill x 3 (poor things just found RMV but still sent huge blooms; tasteful hue of apricot; handled heat well; underrated)

Sweet Mademoiselle x 6 (steady, tough, reliable, never without a bloom; blooms do not fall apart in heat or rain, long vase life; low water requirements, low overall maintenance)

* the reason I put the numbers of bushes next to each name is because only all bushes of one variety performed uniform-ally made it to my top 5 list. For example, I have three DA Charlotte, one black spot a lot more than the other two and did not put on as much growth compared to the other two, Charlotte therefore did not make the list.

Alana, at least in my climate Mme. Lambard (or Lombard) is a very easy and fast-growing rose with lots of bloom. It's not my favorite tea, but maybe that's because it's too easy, lol. Mrs. Dudley Cross has incredible flowers, the only down-side being that those huge flowers often hang their heads. Arranging them in a vase can be a trial because those heavy blooms on fairly thin stalks tend to catapult themselves right out of the vase. Nevertheless, I wish I still had mine and would gladly exchange one of my two Mme. Lambards (one of which was sent by mistake) for Mrs. Dudley. I hope your teas do well this time.)

Kes, I have to vote your method as the most ingenious for getting around the five-rose limit. Your punishment for being so sneaky is to post lots of pictures of your beauties this spring. I'm so happy to have Spice again although (as usual) the space allotted to it is too small. You'd think I'd know better after all these years of growing roses, but no, I'm as greedy as ever, and make that same mistake over and over. There is no hope for the rose-smitten.

zzz, Summer Romance seems to be a real workhorse from what I see on HMF, in addition to having beautiful, old-fashioned blooms. One of these days I have to have Bolero in my garden; it's another really rewarding rose for just about everyone who has it. Too little time, space and energy, too many worthwhile roses - it's a terrible problem......

Summer Romance and Bolero.... yes, Ingrid. They will probably be very happy in your garden both are very fragrant too... I was shocked to discover just how fragrant Summer Romance is...

zzzone, Where did you find Bolero rose tree? Do you have a pic? It must be beautiful.

*Francis Dubreuil—for its mysterious deep red, prolific blooms, and for its powerful old rose fragrance.

*Rosa moschata—for its heady, wafting fragrance that will knock you over on a warm summer night.

*Sombreuil—perfectly formed blooms with a richly irresistible tea fragrance.

*Don Juan--almost iridescent red blooms that are huge and nonstop, blooms 9-10 months/year for me.

*New Dawn—so many silvery pink blooms each spring that you can hardly see the foliage. Vigorous and beautiful glossy foliage that is absolutely disease free.

My best performing rose is Medallion. I have it on Dr. Huey here in Florida and it is doing quite well... I planted him 15 years ago, before I really started growing roses. I did not know what I was doing and did everything wrong. I planted him at my office, on a raised bed on top of asphalt, on the west of my office building where it doesn't get sun until about 1 in the afternoon.... and then it gets westerly hot Florida sun that not only hits it, but bounces off the asphalt and the white building..... it is still growing strong. Someone took a cutting of it and I have it on own root. It grew ok for about six years then started growing backwards at my house. I think it was the neamatode, so I dug it up, washed the roots and put it a pot. It is doing quite well..... So with all of that I say Medallion is my best

Veteran's Honor

Dark Desire - it is also a real trooper, it too is on own root. Not a favorite because of his THORNS, but is one of the best performing.

Elina

The McCartney Rose

Love this thread, I'm taking notes of the popular ones: Summer Romance, Fragrant cloud, Bolero, Souvenir d. M., Sweet M, Francis Dubreuil, Firefighter, Carding Mill, Quick Silver, Mystic Beauty, Lullaby, Perle d'Or, Grandmother's Hat, W.S. 2000, Marie Pavie, Poseidon, Munstead Wood, Twilight Zone, Roberto cappucci, Molineux, The Dark Lady, Plum Perfect, Jude the Obscure, Bathsheba, The McCartney Rose, Rosa moschata, Darcy Brussel, Mel’s Heritage, Bishop's castle, Evelyn, Sombreuil, Comte de Chambord, Medallion, Teasing Georgia,Mme. Lambard, Ispahan, Mrs. Dudley Cross, Comtesse du Cayla, Darcy Bussell.

From the other post of favorite top 5 a decade ago: Zeph. Drouhin, Claire Martin, W.S. 2000.

I wish WS2000 were more widely available here in the states! It looks delightful :)

Linda of LongAgoRoses might be able to root them if people place order in advance. I will offer Linda cuttings from my 11th-year own-roots W.S. 2000 & Mary Magdalene ... plus Annie L. McDowell which survived my three zone 5a winter. W.S. 2000 as grafted on Dr.Huey doesn't last long, but my W.S. 2000 as own-root lasts forever with zero disease, planted next to a flooded rainspout. Violet & old rose scent of W.S. 2000 (acidic-rain-tolerant) is hard to find, same with Frankincense scent of Mary Magdalene (drought-tolerant).

@strawchicago z5 that's so generous of you to do!! Your Mary Magdalene pictures are gorgeous and I know people have been very frustrated with the lack of availability of WS2000. You and @john_ca are really wonderful people for being willing to share and preserve what you have!

WS2K really is lovely, fragrant. Mine is coming back from being transplanted.

It's interesting to go back and read the old posts on this thread, from two years ago. I would still say that the first two are still on my list.

1. Bishop’s Castle (2021) - always eager to grow and bloom, with wafting fragrance that fills the garden.

2. Marie Pavie (2021) - first flush is best, but blooms throughout the summer, also with wafting fragrance, which comes through the house if I open the windows. Musky rose/leather fragrance.

This year I would choose different ones for my next three. Previously I chose Alnwick Castle (although I love the fragrance, it's not a huge producer), Munstead Wood (gorgeous flowers, but not consistent in the heat, not my favorite fragrance, and not a strong grower for me), and Abraham Darby (my most persnickety rose).

3. Desdemona - wants to grow and bloom, glorious fragrance, and no thrips damage.

4. 'Scentuous' is probably too early to tell, but this is its second year. Luscious full ruffly blooms of a perfect shade of pink, and incredible fragrance. We shall see though how it does as time goes on since it's starting to put on size, and I don't know what it will be like in a few years.

5. #5 is not so certain. 'Bolero' used to be on my "I would be fine without it" list, because of the thrips damage, but I think I've learned to grow it better, and it's turned out to be lovely. On the other hand 'Evelyn' has such beautiful flowers and is much more consistent. Oh what the heck. Then my choice is 'Evelyn', who produced a huge amount of flowers this spring.

Gosh @noseometer...(7A, SZ10, Albuquerque) your roses are so glorious!! I can’t wait for my Evelyn to put up it’s first bloom, hopefully she will like it here, yours is amazing!

I agree Bolero is an amazing rose:

my top 5 would be:

lady gardener

Love her!

Olivia has really impressed me on year 2, she lasts a long time in the bush and is no longer burning on the hot sun

mary rose, pure abundance of blooms and one of the strongest fragance

Pearly gates, another floriferous rose

and nee to me this year, Earth angel

Gosh @noseometer...(7A, SZ10, Albuquerque) your roses are so glorious!! I can’t wait for my Evelyn to put up it’s first bloom, hopefully she will like it here, yours is amazing!

I agree Bolero is an amazing rose:

my top 5 would be:

lady gardener

Love her!

Olivia has really impressed me on year 2, she lasts a long time in the bush and is no longer burning on the hot sun

mary rose, pure abundance of blooms and one of the strongest fragance

Pearly gates, another floriferous rose

and nee to me this year, Earth angel

@CeresMer Zone 7a NJ Not only are your roses lovely, but you take great photos as well!

Noseometer - GASP!!! Your WS2000 is glorious!!! BEAUTIFUL!!!! Holey Moley!!! Your Marie Pavie and Bishop's Castle are intense bloomers!!! GASP again!!!

Straw - that's a great idea!! We're soooo lucky to have you on our forum!!

Ceres - your Pearly Gates, Mary Rose (GASP) and Bolero are fabulous!!

@CeresMer Zone 7a NJ - your roses are gorgeous! My Winchester Cathedral sported a branch into Mary Rose, but my cuttings of it failed. I almost like it better than Winchester Cathedral though, so I'm going to try again. Bolero is a cute compact plant, and the flowers have a great fragrance, but I decided that it's not on my top five because its susceptibility to thrips and it is not happy with our summer weather here. I hope my Olivia turns out as nice as yours. I just got it this year.

@strawchicago z5 - your description of Mary Magdalene's fragrance has me wanting to try it, just to smell the fragrance. My favorite perfume has a strong component of incense (frankincense/myrrh) and if it smells anything like that, I will love it.

Right now, sticking to fuss free roses actually in bloom or about to (re)bloom,

*Anna Olivier - perhaps the most reliable ebullient rebloom in the yard - tied for reliable rebloom with

*Purpurea (winecup) - flowers are very frequent if also very fleeting; but oh the lovely glaucus foliage!

*Savannah and *Plum perfect - both get better every year; I like it that they are foliated all the way to the ground. Savannah's strong grapefruit scent is a bonus; blooms last a long time on the bush before dropping cleanly.

*Perle d'Or - used to just tolerate her because of the tendency to chlorotic leaves but dumped lots of gypsum and milorganite on her last year; she's been bettter since - spring flush had bigger flowers and smelled very good this year -- still fairly fuss free

There are others I might have mentioned a month ago or a month from now. (maggie for best spring flush; softee for all round performance; star of the republic for most beautiful flower and most haunting scent; yellow mutabilis for that je ne sais quoi -- but this is good for now )

@strawchicago z5 how generous!

@Aaron Rosarian Zone 5b are you looking to purchase WS2000? I've been pining after it and just missed K&M's last season they offered it. I would put in a preorder at Long Ago Roses, especially if others here want it too. It seems like everyone in the states has such good things to say about this rose.

My top 5 roses are 10th to 11th-year own-root, and I pick them based on fragrance and shade-tolerance:

Below is 11th-year own-root W.S. 2000, never see blackspots despite being next to the rain-spout. Doesn't occupy much space & small like a mini-rose but with big blooms & big scent once opened up. Continuous bloomer in only 4 hours of morning sun:

Below with acid-fertilizer and horse manure, it turns more purple

Below note how W.S. 2000 bloom is bigger than blue Poseidon. Scent is violets and old rose.

W.S. 2000 with Acid-fertilizer Lilly Miller NPK 10-5-4 plus sulfate of potash to shift bloom to purple.

10th-year own-root Comte de Chambord has the best scent among my 134 fragrant own-root roses. The scent is 80% old rose, 10% musk and 10% myrrh. The musk element helps it to perfume the entire room. I can smell it 6 feet away in the garden. Fast repeat, 3 flushes a year in my short zone 5 summer. Bush is small & compact versus Duchess de Rohan is 3 times bigger. In its ideal spot, it bloomed 1st week of May, the earliest bloomer in zone 5.

Bloom is large. Can get up to 4" across. It's the left pink in below bouquet:

It blooms well in 4 hours of evening sun:

10th-year own-root Evelyn was the only rose that bloomed at 100F plus watered with pH 9 alkaline-tap-water. See below:

With acidic rain, blooms turn deeper pink, see below right pink Evelyn, left is Sonia Rykiel, and white is Bolero:

Leaves are always glossy & healthy & never see any diseases in alkaline clay:

I pick 11th-year own-root Mary Magdalene for its drought-tolerance and amazing Frankincense scent. The scent reminds me of a cozy fireplace or the incense in Catholic church. Never see diseases in this one, despite being plant under the roof overhang that blocks 80% of rain. It blooms well with alkaline tap water at pH 9. Bloom gets large, up to 4" if high-potassium fertilizer is used. Bush is small & compact while Marie Pavie is twice bigger.

Upper bush is Mary Magdalene, lower bush is Marie Pavie. Note that Marie Pavie is twice bigger. I put Mary next to my window so the scent can float inside in hot summer:

For my 5th most favorite rose: I pick 7th-year-own-root Dee-lish over Princess Charlene de Monaco since Dee-lish doesn't become less petals like PCM in hot summer. I also pick Dee-lish over Sweet Mademoiselle since I prefer Dee-lish's strawberry-guava scent over Sweet M. nectarine and camphor scent. Dee-lish is more heat-tolerant, blooming at 95 F. Dee-lish is a continuous bloomer: one at a time rather than all at once, plus it blooms from head to toe:

One drawback: It's not shade-tolerant like Sweet M, but it's more drought & heat tolerant.

Straw - oh my goodness!!! Beautiful!!! I love your CdC and that bouquet is amazing!!! I love it!! Your Munstead Wood is glorious!!! Oh my!!! :) :) I think I love your Evelyn the best...that's a hard rose to beat IMO. :)